Cristina Odone is a journalist, novelist and broadcaster specialising in the relationship between society, families and faith. She is the director of communications for the Legatum institute and is a former editor of the Catholic Herald and deputy editor of the New Statesman. She is married and lives in west London with her husband, two stepsons and a daughter. Her new ebook No God Zone is now available on Kindle.

A Government "discussion paper" seen by Paul Goodman of Conservative Home argues that, to create "the conditions for integration", all religious marriages should be recognised by the state. The paper notes:

Similarly, religious marriage is not recognised by the State unless you choose for it to be so. This leaves an individual who enters into religious marriages unprotected if their partner enters a second or third religious marriage. This can be remedied by requiring both religious marriages and religious divorces to be registered with civil authorities. Likewise, there could be a duty on anyone conducting religious marriages and divorces to register with the state.

Given that Muslim men can marry up to four women according to Islamic law, this looks like a green light for polygamy.

I'm not sure we should engage in any "discussion" of this matter: recognising these marriages would lend them legitimacy and is one step away from properly legalising polygamy, which would be destructive to the institution of marriage and corrosive to women's rights. Polygamy, Sharia-style, implies that it takes four women to satisfy one man. Perhaps Alpha males like the PM and his Deputy think this equation is about right – but by venturing forth into this territory they risk offending at least half of the electorate.

Islam has much to teach British culture: abstemious self-discipline, respect for elders, modesty, charity. But its treatment of women is too often objectionable: in many parts of the Islamic world, girls are discouraged from continuing their education once they enter puberty; honour killings and forced marriages are frequent; women who seek divorce rarely get a hearing. Women, in other words, are short-changed by Islam, and polygamy is one reason for this. When a man knows he's worth four wives, his attitude to the fairer sex is bound to be unfair.

Islam, I repeat, has much to teach Britain. But Britain has an important lesson for Islam: women are men's equal. Marriage is one on one, with mutual commitment. Keep polygamy out of Britain, Dave and Nick. Or you may find yourself facing a marital "Question Time" at home.